In climate and culture, the subtropical far south of Yunnan, Xishuangbanna, feels a part of southeast Asia. Much of the area is primeval rainforest, the last left in the country, and home to a huge diversity of flora and fauna, including a third of China’s bird population. A third of the population is Dai; another third is made up of the numerous other minorities. Most of the population lives in small villages and the area’s appeal lies in the opportunity to hop between towns, explore the countryside by bike, and trek through the jungle.

East to Laos, this route travels through cultivated flat lands and then highland forest to the Laotian border, which you can cross, provided you have the required visa.

The small settlement of Manting, a few miles east of Ganlanba is full of traditional wooden Dai houses. The town’s Fo Si and Du Ta are excellent reconstructions of 12th-century temples destroyed in the Cultural Revolution.

Three hours east by bus lies Menglun, a dusty couple of streets beside the Luosuo Jiang. The superb Botanic Gardens, across a suspension bridge on the opposite bank were set up to research medicinal uses of local plants. With over 3,000 different species, there’s plenty to see, even for the not-sobotanically minded, including the celebrated Dragons’ Blood Trees whose sap is used to heal wounds, as well as bamboo and ancient cycad groves. Stay the night, in the small hotel within the gardens.

Leaving the farms behind, the road to Mengla travels through a great tract of thick tropical jungle, the largest of Xishuangbanna’s five wildlife preserves, which gives way to rubber plantations. Mengla itself is a rather drab and unattractive town.

A short taxi ride north of Mengla, the Bupan Aerial Walkway, a chain of slender bridges 40 m in the tree canopy, allows for unrivaled views of the jungle below. It’s another 15 km to the Yao minority village of Yaoqu. There’s a hostel, and from here it is possible to trek into some very remote regions - you’re advised to hire a guide.

Shangyong is the last village before the Laos border and though not really worthy of a trip in itself, it’s interesting as Xishuangbanna’s Miao center.

West to Myanmar, western Xishuangbanna is less developed than the east, with rougher roads and sketchier transport. The many fascinating villages inhabited entirely by minorities, however, make the rigors of travel worthwhile.

Sprawling Menghai is unremarkable, but useful as a base for exploring villages and the countryside by bike. It’s renowned for its pu’er tea and hosts a lively Sunday market.

The monastery at Jingzhen is known for its busu, an octagonal pavilion for delivering sermons. The main temple has beautiful decorative wall paintings. A bit farther on at Mengzhe, the hilltop Manlei Si is a bizarre-looking, frilly octagon built in the 18th century, which holds an important collection of sutras written on palm fiber. Xiding, an attractive Hani village, holds a large Thursday market.

Gelanghe is dominated by the Hani, whose women wear elaborate silver headdresses. A sub-group, the Ake, who wear their long hair in braids, live in a settlement just north of town on the way to the lake.

Heading south towards the border, Menghun is a sleepy town with a huge Sunday market, beginning at dawn and over by noon. Most participants are Dai, but you will also see Hani and Bulang. There’s also a rather run-down 19th-century monastery in town.

The border town of Daluo is the end of the line for westerners who are not allowed to travel to Myanmar, unless being met at the border as part of an official tour. The cross-border market, which attracts hill tribes and Burmese traders, makes the trip to this outpost worth it.

Damenglong, 70 km south of Jinghong, comes alive on market days and is a popular spot for trekking and temple hopping. On the way, it’s worth stopping at Gasa to explore Manguanglong Si, a monastery with a lovely dragon-shaped stairway.

Manfeilong Ta is a half-hour walk north of Damenglong and its nine graceful spires make it the most impressive of the local temples. Built in 1204 to enshrine what is purported to be Buddha’s footprint, it is popular with Buddhist pilgrims and is the center of festivities during the Tan Ta Festival in late October or early November. Another Buddhist monument, Hei Ta, is rather run-down, but set in a very pleasant location.

The walk to Bulang Shan is a simple, well-established three-day walk along the Nana Jiang and its tributaries, passing through dense jungle and villages of the Dai, Hani, Bulang, and Lahu minorities. Hire a guide and be careful not to stray off the path into Myanmar. From Damenglong it’s 10 km to the Dai village of Manguanghan, then a further 13 km to the Bulang village of Manpo, which makes a good place to spend the night. The next day is a 22-km tramp through heavy jungle on winding paths to Weidong. The next day is an easy hike of 10 km along the road to Bulang Shan, which offers rudimentary accommodations and a daily bus to Menghai.